Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

[ Edited ]

I'm starting a new thread on this subject.....just to keep things current.

The Iowa eagles....built a new nest this year...in another tree. So, unfortunately, the wonderful video we had last year was not possible this year. That gear is expensive....and after eggs are laid I don't think they want to be moving stuff for fear of disturbing the parents.

But...enterprising as they are.....some camera gear with very long telephoto lens was set up and there are pictures available. Facebook is the best spot to go. You don't have to be a member to view these.

There are three new eagles this year......nearly grown....and now experimenting with their wings. They'll be flying pretty soon. Their appetites are enormous and poor dad and mom are kept really busy fishing and feeding the family. As usual....no names....but numerical designations: D-15, D-16 & D-17. Here is the link to the Facebook page where the photos are. Click on a photo and you can then advance from image to image. There's a lot of them:

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

Thanks Phil.

On a much smaller scale, we had Robins build a nest on our partially covered back patio. in late April and Early May, I had to do lots of work back there, edging, mowing, sweeping and whatnot. I was constantly buzzed by (I guess) Mom and Dad. They would miss my head by 6 inches or so. It was kind of nerve wracking, so one day, while I was sweeping, I got buzzed by one that was so close, I could hear wings flapping. So, on their next pass, I quickly turned my broom, straw side up and raised it a bit (I could see their shadow, approaching). You should have heard the chirping and squawking when they had to turn abruptly to miss the broom. Never got buzzed again, lol.

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

Ha. They didn't like you getting so close to their home. I know how they felt......feel the same way about the neighbor's young teen boys that come prowling around our yard and house at 1 AM. I've decided that I've had enough. Gonna just call the cops and report prowlers next time it happens. I think they are trying to window peek......Yeah....sure...at a pair of 77 yr. olds. HA!

We did not have many birds when we first moved into this neighborhood 7 years ago. But the trees and and bushes have grown substantially in these years and now we have nests everywhere and love watching mom's and dad's bringing worms and other tidbits to the babies. I was alarmed to see a blond cat wandering around the SW corner of our house the other day. I wish people would keep their darn cats in the house or on leash. They go after the birds and their nests every time. It's illegal to shoot at the cats but if I get mad enough the city will provde traps for me to try to catch them and turn them into animal control.

As I was watching this cat.....one of the larger birds spotted him/her also and pulled off a first-class dive bombing attack....hit him on the head....pecked reat hard and flew away. Cat was super surprised and ran across the street. Loved it.

We're considering installing a bird bath. But wow some of them are expensive. I don't want fancy, fancy. Just a plain old bird bath with large enough, shallow bowl for the birds to bath in and drink from. And heavy enough that it won't blow over in the first strong wind that comes along.

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money.
.......Margaret Thatcher

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

Speaking of our robins - they abandonned the nest a few weeks back and on June 2nd, our Son in law took it down. Guess what? They rebuilt it! As fast as the rebuild was, they must have received Federal Disaster Relief funds, lol.

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

dhascall wrote:

Speaking of our robins - they abandonned the nest a few weeks back and on June 2nd, our Son in law took it down. Guess what? They rebuilt it! As fast as the rebuild was, they must have received Federal Disaster Relief funds, lol.

I'll have to disagree with you on that, they must of had insurance, if they were waiting for FEMA money it might be next year before they could rebuild.

” Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports … all others are games.”- Ernest Hemingway

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

We got so absorbed by the birth of the three new bald eaglets in the Decorah, Iowa area that we kind of forgot our traveling girl.....D-1. If you remember.....last summer she flew all the way to Hudson's Bay in Canada and spent the summer there......then returned last fall to the Decorah area. Estimates are that she traveled around 4000 miles....if my memory serves me. Let's just say the her drive to travel is nearly as big as mine.

Well.....this summer.....oh heck....here's link. Read for yourself. There is text and a map:

Wonder where she'll end up this summer. Maybe she's got a guy up there in Canada, eh? In another year she should be thinking about her first nesting and breeding. Guess right now she is just shopping??????

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money.
.......Margaret Thatcher

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

[ Edited ]

Oh Boy........our traveling girl has done it again. Eagle D-1....from the Decorah, Iowa preserve....has traveled almost 1,100 miles back to Hudson's Bay in Canada. Second year she has made this long trip. Last fall...by the time she got back to Iowa she had traveled approximately 4,000 miles. I just find this absolutely fascinating. She must like the summer weather up there rather than the heat down here in the states.....maybe the scenery?......maybe a boyfriend? Anyway here is the link to the map and text. I hope it works:

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

By golly winter must be coming. Our traveling girl, D-1, with the GPS transponder attached to her....is well on her way back to Iowa for the winter.....after spending all summer up on the west shore of Hudson's Bay.

There was one day when she flew nearly in a straight line for over 110 miles in 23 to 24 hours. Truly amazing. Obviously she must have spread that over part of a couple of days since almost certainly she flew only during daylight. This rough map shows her location on 10-06-13:

As you can see...she is located some distance north of Duluth....but at least she is back in the U.S. Normally these Bald Eagles will return to the area around the nest where they were were fledged. Although the experts say that they almost never actually return to that nest itself. So she is probably heading for the area around the city of Decorah in NE Iowa. Lots of woods and good sources of food and water.

This past year the folks that observe this particular Decorah nest decided not to attach a GPS unit to any of the three young bald eagles that were hatched. Rather they have been devoting their time and money to mounting a new video system to observe the #2 nest. If you remember.....the #1 nest that mom and dad had used for several years was abandoned by them in favor of a new one that they built in another tree not too far away. But, unfortunately, when she laid the three eggs in that new nest there was no opportunity to mount a new camera. Now.....in 2014....perhaps we'll have a chance to watch either #1 or #2....depending on which one mom decides to lay her eggs in. Heaven forbid that they build yet a 3rd nest. That isn't likely. It's a lot of work.

I know there are lots of other Bald Eagle nests being observed in preserves around the country. But I tend to stay interested in the Decorah, Iowa spot....perhaps because we lived in Iowa for 18 years and I served several years as the state director of tourism. Also we still have a farm in the south-central part of that state. So we got kind of attached to Iowa....and its wildlife. On our farm we have deer, wild turkeys, pheasants, quail and a couple of huge nests used by what I believe may be golden eagles. When our Yorkshire Terrier, Bitsy, was still living.....I used to have an occasional nightmare about going camping at the farm and a big eagle would swoop down....grab the tiny 4 1/4 lb. dog and off it would go, headed for one of those nests. I'd climb the tree....way to the top....and just as I'd reach the limbs supporting the nest I'd wake up in a cold sweat. Crazy huh? Fortunately my rather under-developed tree climbing abilities were never tested.

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money.
.......Margaret Thatcher

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

Hurrah!!! D-1....our traveling girl has returned to home area in the Decorah, Iowa vicinity. After spending the summer again in the Hudson's Bay region of Canada.....she is HOME! I never cease to be enthralled by this gal's adventures. They were abel to track her in Decorah area and get photos. See for yourself and read the account of finding her:

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

Yep....she's developing her white tail feathers...and white feathers beginning to show around her neck and head. Another year or two and we'll be watching her build a nest with a mate....lay eggs....and raise young'uns.

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money.
.......Margaret Thatcher

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Decorah, Iowa Bald Eagles - 2013

In case anyone is interested.....mom and dad....the bald eagle pair on the preserve near Decorah, Iowa have already been working on maintenance of their new nest that they built for their new family last winter. The new video camera and equipment are now installed at the new nest and have been on and off for testing periodically. Check this link and scroll down a bit for a look-see as mom & pop work. All stills so far I think:

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

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